AUTONEWS

Are car screens more dangerous than using a mobile phone?

Safety experts are calling on car manufacturers to return to traditional dashboards with buttons and switches.

When touch screens first appeared in cars, many enthusiastically welcomed this innovation.

Although these screens were initially intended primarily for navigation, over time they turned into central control consoles, as more and more functions that drivers previously controlled with buttons and switches were moved to the screen, reports Autonews.

Now it seems that this may not have been the best solution and many experts are already calling on manufacturers to "go back to buttons". This especially applies to manufacturers of electric cars.

Greater safety risk than using a mobile phone...Experts warn that touching the screen in a car to change music or adjust the heating may be even riskier than using a mobile phone while driving.

According to the Daily Mail, research shows that drivers’ reaction times are reduced by more than 50 percent when using a touchscreen. This has an even greater negative impact on safety than texting or talking on a mobile phone, which increase reaction times by 35 percent and 46 percent, respectively.

Looking away from the road for too long…Experts warn that using a touchscreen causes all three main types of distractions while driving:

-visual (taking your eyes off the road),

-manual (taking your hands off the wheel) and

-cognitive (taking your mind off the road).

Using a mobile phone causes similar distractions, but the screen interface often requires the driver to look away from the road for periods that “often exceed safe and acceptable limits,” said Dr Milad Haghani, a safety expert at the University of Melbourne.

A particular problem is that features that are not “instantaneous” – for example, if you need to open a menu to turn on the wipers, this further increases the time the driver is looking at the screen instead of the road.

2020 study...A 2020 study by independent traffic organization TRL tested drivers while performing typical driving tasks on simulated highways.

Drivers were offered two systems: Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The tests were conducted in three driving sessions:

-a control session (no system use),

-a voice-controlled session (voice commands only), and

-a screen-controlled session (touching the screen only).

Reaction times to braking, lane keeping, speed, safety distance, and gaze direction were measured.

The researchers found that drivers using the touchscreen had significantly longer reaction times compared to the control group or the group using voice control.

Lane keeping and overall driving quality also deteriorated for drivers using the screen. This is especially important at higher speeds, such as on the highway, where a small difference in inattention can mean a long distance traveled.

Screens take away muscle memory...Manual controls are much less distracting because they are much easier to use, says Dr. Hagani.

“It’s true that they require the driver to take their hands off the wheel, but they allow them to keep their eyes on the road and don’t require a long, uninterrupted look. Drivers can quickly learn and rely on the muscle memory needed to use buttons and switches,” explains Dr. Hagani, “but screens take away that useful ability from the driver.”

Dr. Hagani doesn’t dispute the usefulness of screens in cars, but only for functions that don’t need to be adjusted by touch while driving.

“There should be physical buttons for key functions in cars,” he says.

According to him, these include controlling the temperature, windshield wipers or radio volume, functions that are frequently adjusted while driving.

These features must be accessible so that the driver can use them without taking their eyes off the road.

“Even if they are included in the on-screen menu, drivers should also be able to use them using buttons and switches,” says Dr. Hogan.

autonews1@yahoo.com answer---Recent research indicates that using in-car touchscreens can be more dangerous than using a mobile phone while driving. While both are significant sources of distraction, built-in infotainment systems often require longer periods of diverted attention and have a more severe impact on driver reaction times. 

Comparison of distraction levels (2026 Data)--below

Recent studies and safety assessments highlight the following differences:

Reaction times: Fiddling with a car touchscreen interface can worsen reaction times by over 50%. In comparison, texting on a mobile phone increases reaction times by approximately 35%, and hand-held phone calls by 46%.

Glance duration: Adjusting basic functions (like climate or wipers) via a touchscreen often requires navigating through sub-menus. One study found that while drivers could complete tasks with physical buttons in 10 seconds, the same tasks on a touchscreen took up to 45 seconds, meaning the driver traveled over a kilometer without looking at the road.

Triple threat distraction: Touchscreens engage all three types of distraction simultaneously: visual (looking at the screen), manual (taking hands off the wheel), and cognitive (thinking about menu navigation). 

2026 safety rating changes(below) 

Due to these risks, major safety organizations are implementing new rules starting in 2026: 

Euro NCAP requirements: From January 2026, the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) will downgrade safety ratings for new vehicles that do not have physical buttons for critical functions like indicators, hazard lights, and windshield wipers.

Manufacturer shift: Responding to safety concerns and customer dissatisfaction, brands such as Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz have begun reintroducing physical buttons for essential controls in their newer models. 

Why screens are uniquely risky(below):

No muscle memory: Unlike physical knobs and dials, touchscreens offer no tactile feedback, forcing the driver to look at the screen to ensure they are pressing the correct "button".

Menu complexity: Many modern cars bury essential settings deep within software menus, significantly increasing the time eyes are off the road.

Underestimated risk: Drivers often perceive built-in systems as "safer" because they are part of the car, leading to more frequent use compared to illegal mobile phone use. 

by Autonews